In front of an emotional Superdome crowd, the New Orleans Saints outlasted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 24-20 victory on Sunday.  Getting a win in the first week of the season was a point of emphasis this year after New Orleans started 0-4 a year ago.

Reggie Bush opened the year with a game-changing performance.  His fourth quarter 42-yard sprint to pay dirt stole the headlines as he sets out to prove himself as an elite player in the league.  Reggie has struggled to find his niche in the NFL, but Sunday's performance leads me to believe that his 2008 campaign will be the most successful of his short career.  

The Saints opened the game with the ball in their hands and promptly drove down the field to score a touchdown. Bush showcased his talents early on the opening drive, catching passes for 7 and 16 yards and dashing for a 10-yard gain on the ground.  Bush would cause problems for the Bucs' defense throughout the day.  They witnessed Bush at his best. 

With Deuce McAllister out with a knee injury, head coach Sean Payton's offensive game plan was designed around the talents and playmaking ability of Bush.  Quarterback Drew Brees connected with Bush 8 times for 112 yards, making the tailback the leading reciever on the day.  Adding 51 yards rushing, Bush had an all around great day.  His game-winning touchdown put an exclamation point on the performance and solidified his spot as the player of the game.

With a defense that can make big plays at big moments, the Saints could prove to be a real contender in the NFC.

A close second was Brees.  The gunslinger looked like he was in midseason form as he went 23-32 with 343 yards and three touchdowns.  His one mistake came early in the game, when Brees threw a ball up for interception that was returned for a touchdown by Tampa Bay cornerback Phillip Buchanon.  Other than that, Brees seems poised for an MVP season.  Along with Bush, he hit receivers Devery Henderson and David Patten for touchdowns.

Also, Jeremy Shockey made an impact in his Saints debut.  The big tight end caught 6 balls for 54 yards, including key catches in third down situations.  Payton was determined to make Shockey a Saint in the offseason and now we know why.  Payton seems to know how to use Shockey effectively and I expect him to continue to make big plays on offense.

Surprisingly, receiver Marques Colston did not have much of an impact.  With so many weapons to choose from, it will be interesting to see if Brees can distribute the ball enough so that everyone gets involved.  Colston's lack of catches on Sunday leads to two pieces of good news for Saints fans.  One, Colston is one of the few selfless recievers in the league.  No one will hear the Hofstra standout complain about not getting the ball enough.  Second, the potent offense will be even scarier for defenses once Colston gets rolling.

The biggest surprise of the day, came from the Saints defense.  The additions of Jonathan Vilma, Bobby McCray, Randall Gay, Sedrick Ellis, and Tracy Porter all paid off against the Bucs.  Vilma and veteran Scott Fujita led the team in tackles with nine a piece.  McCray and defensive end Charles Grant each had a sack.  Gay and Porter combined to make several plays in the secondary.  Ellis helped keep the run game in check and provided pressure on Bucs' quarterback Jeff Garcia.

However, the biggest defensive accomplishment came as a group effort.  They made a stop in the fourth quarter.  In recent years, it has become a rule that the Saints would lose the game on defense, especially late in the 4th quarter.

On Sunday that was not the case.  After the Bush score, the Saints defense forced a Tampa Bay punt.  When the Bucs got the ball back again with 2:24 left at their own 49, it seemed that the same old Saints would come out and give up a touchdown and drop the game.  

Not this time.  Not this year.  The Bucs put a scare in the Saints as they drove down to the 24, but on third down Garcia's pass was intercepted by Fujita.  Saints' defenses in the past would have choked under these circumstances.  The Bucs had all the momentum and the Saints are historically terrible under pressure.  Fujita's pick represents the beginning of a new era in Saints football.

With a defense that can make big plays at big moments, the Saints could prove to be a real contender in the NFC.

It will be interesting to see if the defense continues to stand up or if Sunday was simply an exception to the rule.